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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →If Avast is interrupting work on a trusted source file or build folder, add a narrowly scoped exception rather than turning off antivirus protection. The steps depend on whether you use Avast Antivirus or Avast One and, for Avast Antivirus, whether your computer runs Windows or macOS.
Before you add an exception
Check the product name shown in the app and identify the exact file or folder triggering the alert. Avast’s instructions and menus differ by product and operating system, and menu labels can change between versions.
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Confirm where the file came from and that it is the item you intended to build or download. If you cannot establish that it is safe, do not exempt it simply to clear the alert. Avast advises setting exceptions only for files or sites you know are safe; it suggests checking an uncertain file with VirusTotal or submitting it to Avast Threat Labs. See Avast’s exclusion instructions.
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- Open Avast Antivirus and select Menu > Settings > General > Exceptions.
- Select Add exception. For a code file or project directory, choose the File/Folder tab, browse to the specific path, and add it.
- Before saving, review Advanced options. You can choose which detections or protections the exception applies to, including All scans, Behavior Shield, File Shield, Hardened Mode, and CyberCapture detections.
A file or folder exception may exclude that path from scans and shields, not just a scan you start manually. Use the smallest scope that resolves the interruption: a single trusted file is narrower than a project folder, and a specific build/output folder is narrower than a whole development drive. If only one protection is causing the problem, limit the exception to that feature rather than excluding the path from all scans and shields.
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Avast Antivirus also documents a Command Line exception option. Use it only when the interruption concerns a command-line path or workflow and you understand the scope of what you are excluding.
Add an exception in Avast Security on macOS
Avast documents separate controls for scan exclusions and File Shield exclusions:
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- For a scan: Open Avast Security, go to Preferences > Scans, choose the relevant scan type, select Add exceptions, and choose the file, folder, or application.
- For File Shield: Go to Preferences > Core Shields > File Shield > Add exceptions.
Web Guard exceptions apply to websites or domains, not code files, so they are not the appropriate setting for a source file or local project directory.
If you use Avast One
Do not assume that Avast Antivirus menu paths also apply to Avast One. Avast directs Avast One users to separate exclusion instructions. Confirm the app name and follow the support guidance for that product and version rather than trying to translate the Antivirus steps.
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Choose the narrowest exception that works
- Single file: Limits the rule to one item and is easiest to review or remove, but may not address repeated alerts on newly generated output.
- Build or output folder: Can cover recurring generated files while keeping the exception within a defined part of the project.
- Whole project folder: A broader choice that may exempt source files and other contents beneath that path; use it only when that scope is justified.
- All scans and shields: Broadest protection impact. If Avast’s Advanced options let you limit the exception to a particular feature, choose only what resolves the specific interruption.
What to do if the alert continues
- Verify the alert’s file path and make sure it matches the file or folder you intended to exempt.
- Check the file’s origin and integrity. Be especially cautious with an unexpected binary, unfamiliar dependency, downloaded archive, or script you did not expect.
- If you still cannot verify the file, leave it protected and use VirusTotal or Avast Threat Labs as Avast suggests.
- If the file is trusted, try an exception limited to that file or its necessary output folder, and to the relevant scan or shield where the controls allow it.
- Review and remove the exception when the development task or need has ended.
Do not disable all shields just to make a build run. An exception trades protection for fewer interruptions on the path or feature it covers; keeping that scope small makes the trade-off easier to understand and reverse.
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